Timeshift is a powerful backup utility for Linux systems that allows you to create and manage system snapshots. With Timeshift, you can easily back up your entire system or selected files and directories, and restore them to a previous state if necessary.
Installing Timeshift on Linux is very easy. Many Linux Distributions like Linux Mint, Manjaro, etc. have Timeshift installed by default. If you are using one of these distributions, look for Timeshift in the applications menu. If it is not installed, you can follow the instructions below to install it.
Video Tutorial
Install Timeshift On Ubuntu And Ubuntu-based Distros:
If you are using Ubuntu, you can install it from the Ubuntu Repository. Ubuntu and many Ubuntu-based distributions have it in their repositories. But you may not get the latest version. So, I prefer using the PPA from the developer to get the latest version.
Use the following command to add the PPA and install Timeshift on Ubuntu.
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:teejee2008/timeshift sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install timeshift
Install Timeshift On Fedora and CentOS:
sudo dnf update sudo dnf install timeshift
Install Timeshift On Arch Linux and derivatives (like Manjaro):
Arch and its derivatives use Pacman package manager. The syntax looks weird and confusing but you can easily install it using the following command. Any Arch-based distros can work perfectly.
sudo pacman -S timeshift
Once the installation is complete, you can launch Timeshift from the application menu or in the terminal to do the backup and restore your Linux. It has both the GUI and CLI interface.
Timeshift Initial Setup
Setting up Timeshift is a relatively straightforward process. When you open up the Timeshift app, it will ask you for your Root password. Enter your password to continue.
If you are using the ext4 file system, then RSYNC is the default choice. Or if you use the BTRFS file system, then you can choose BTRFS. BTRFS is not available in the ext4. Select your snapshot type and click on Next.
Now, select your Snapshot Location where you want to save the snapshots. My Root directory and Home directory are separated so in my case I select my Home partition. You can also use an external hard drive that has a supported Linux file system. Click on Next to continue.
Now, set up your Snapshot Levels. You can create scheduled snapshots level like Monthly, Weekly, Daily, Hourly, and Boot. Select your desired Snapshot Levels and enter how many times you want to take snapshots of your system. After that, click on Next.
By default, Timeshift excludes User files to keep the size of the snapshots low. If you want to include user files, you can do that. But my recommendation is not to include them as it will overwrite your existing files when you restore a backup snapshot. So keep that in mind. Click on Next to continue.
Your setup is completed and you are good to go. Click on Finish to close the wizard.
Conclusion
Timeshift is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that allows you to take backups and restore your Linux system. It provides a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to create, schedule, and manage system snapshots.
I hope this installation guide will help you to install Timeshift on your Linux machine. You can now create Linux snapshots and prevent yourself from system crashes and data loss.
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